Four Seasons
by Kleia
Summary: "You're gonna lose people in your life, Claire, and you'll realize that no matter how much time you spent with them or how much you appreciate them and told them so, it will never seem like it was enough."
1. Spring

**Four Seasons**

**A/N: **Hullo, everybody! I know you haven't seen me around this archive, because, well, this is my first Harvest Moon story. You get me. Yes, hooray. *presents Claire throwing off rainbow glitters in the beginning of the game, you know, when you accept your job as a farmer and stuff, yes that scene* Anyway, I'm just an amateur in this, because I've only played HM: MFoMT for a short while online (then I decided to download a VB Emulator and a ROM. Hakuna matata for Wi-Fi!). Sooo, expect a lot of mistakes and stuff, and I hope you enjoy!

**THEME SONG: **Yes, I wanted to have you listen to something while reading this. Don't worry, it's a piano version, so no words to distract your mind or something. It's just something I was listening to while writing this and thought, hey this could be the theme song. (In my opinion, lol.) Anyway, here is the link: **_ www dot youtube dot com / watch?v=SlgNA49E7lI _**You can listen to it if you want, but if you don't, then it's good too. :)

**DISCLAIMER: **_Kleia does not own Harvest Moon, Yasuhiro Wada does._

* * *

**Spring**

_When they both met._

* * *

Strolling across the brick road and absent-mindedly turning around the corner, it took long before Claire realized she was unconsciously walking down the street where the Supermarket and the Clinic was. It was only a week after she had read the newspaper back in the city, showing an advertisement about the farm she resides in at this moment. She lightly shook her head upon reminiscing the events when Thomas had told her about the fake advertisement. It obviously wasn't a laughing matter—she quit her job and moved out of her pink apartment for that farm, for Goddess' sake.

Brushing that day aside, she surely didn't regret moving into Mineral Town. It was peaceful, joyous, fresh, and although it's quite small, she still finds herself not getting tired of walking down the roads she walks on every day since she came. She never got tired of waking up in her small house, her cute little puppy named Peanut greeting her with its little jumps of joy and wags of its tail. She never got tired of breathing in the scent of trees and fresh air. She never got tired of speaking to the townspeople, who were all so friendly. She never got tired of everything, really, albeit the fact that she has lived here for just a week.

Claire only noticed now that she reached the end of the street, where she was supposed to turn right for Rose Square or Doug's Inn—she _did_ start to feel hungry after all the chores she'd done this morning—but instead she obliged to where her feet turned to: the church, much to her own dismay.

It wasn't like she isn't religious or anything—she just rarely visits this place. With all the farm work and socializing she's done, she didn't have much time to be in silence for a moment. She felt guilty all of a sudden.

Slowly, Claire pushed open the big twin doors of the church, creating a loud shrieking noise due to its oldness. And once her eyes landed on the interior in front of her, she couldn't help but feel so awed light-headed silenced as she gaped at the three large panels of stain glass ahead of her, faint sunlight shining in, causing it to reflect different arrays of colors. There were two doors on each side of the windows, as well as two long tables with rows of lit candles. An organ was seen on her right and she couldn't help but smile. She wanted to try out playing that one day, when she knows how to, that is.

Pews in two rows were before her, and a red carpet was sprawled out in front of her. It made her feel welcomed and at peace. She inhaled deeply and took steps forward, taking in the ether the church gave off.

Claire strode until she was beside the first pews. She inhaled once again, closing her eyes. She felt a weight on her shoulders lift and she didn't even know she had been carrying that weight all along. It made her smile. This place could be her abditory her safe haven her nirvana. She should come here more often, but she was afraid that all her chores would get in the way. She frowned at the thought and exhaled with a hum.

A pregnant silence followed moments later until she heard some sort of mumbles beside her. She rapidly snapped her eyes open as the sound made her jump a little bit. She turned her head to the source of the sound and found a brown-haired boy about her age, whose hair was tied into a ponytail. She slightly tilted her head in confusion (and worry at the kind of face he had on this moment). _Just who was this guy?_ She doesn't see him around the town whenever she's out. Sure, she'd been here for seven days, but within those days she already knew all of the townspeople residing in the quaint little town. Well, maybe not all since all of a sudden this long-haired guy was standing in front of her, a wistful look on his face.

And right then and there, Claire noticed that she was staring at a stranger. _A stranger. _She mentally face palmed at her attitude. _What in the world, Claire? _Well, it wouldn't hurt to talk to the guy. After all, she was here in the first place and who knows, this _guy _might be her closest friend in town.

And with that conclusion, Claire put on the brightest face she could ever put on and took a small step forward towards the guy. "Hello," she breathed out cheerfully, raising her small hand to also catch his attention. And it did catch him good—he snapped his head up and emitted what seemed to be a shocked 'wha?' as he turned to her, utterly surprised that he actually had company in the hushed dwelling. And Claire couldn't help but chuckle at his obliviousness, putting her hands over her mouth to keep the place quiet. Once she calmed down from her fit of silent giggles, she once again waved a hand, "Hi." She greeted once again, smiling widely at the dumbfounded boy.

He simply nodded at her, and Claire could see how his cheeks were slowly being covered by roses because of sheer embarrassment as he casted his eyes on the floor, eyebrows knitted in somewhat a shy manner as she could tell. He couldn't even say hi back, for Goddess' sake! This made her smile. His looks were that of a bad boy—or maybe the ponytail told her so—but he was actually pretty shy. She unconsciously giggled at this. And due to that action, she noticed how he slouched more and blushed more and he avoided his look—

"I—is there… something on my face…?" he stammered, eyes still on the ground as he put his hands on his back, lips pursed.

This time, Claire burst out laughing, causing the guy to look at her—half-offended, half-confused, half-amused. "N—no, silly…! Don't worry, there's nothing on your face," Claire said in between soft chuckles and a smile as she stared into his chocolate brown eyes. She held out her hand for him to shake. "I'm Claire, you know, that new girl in town," she energetically said. "You're new here too, aren't you? What's your name?" she inquired, earning another shy look from the guy, who took her hand and shook it as reticently. She smiled at his coyness, clearly entertained.

He nodded, eyes still diverted from her sapphire ones. "Y—I'm… I'm Cliff," he introduced obviously apprehensive. He blushed again and sighed warily, as if the simple introduction was a strenuous activity. "Sorry… I'm just, kinda… nervous…" he admitted in a small voice, hand rubbing the back of his neck as his eyes started to dart around the room.

Claire chuckled. "It's alright, just relax, I'm not _that _bad, you know." she jokingly said, laughing at her own jest. She looked at Cliff as he inhaled and exhaled, and she could immediately notice how his shoulders relaxed and his contours were too. He smiled in delight, and Claire returned the favor. "So," she abruptly said, wanting to start at least a small conversation with the guy. She had nothing more to do anyway. "What town did you come from? Or were you from the city?"

"Um, well…" he said in uncertainty, looking into her eyes for a brief moment before landing them somewhere else. He straightened up, "I kinda," then he slouched with a downcast look on his face, "don't want to… talk about it…" he muttered in a voice still audible as his index finger scratched his cheek.

Claire blinked, taking in the explanation. "O—oh…! Okay, it's alright," she said in a nervous laugh, which she tried to hide.

Within a matter of seconds, the atmosphere around them wasn't mistakable—it was _awkward_, and Claire hated awkwardness. It was silent but not a light silent a heavy silent and it was pushing her down down down on the ground and there were no words coming out of her mouth to pull her up. She traveled her eyes around the room, and felt worse when she noticed that a small barrier was around them and it was where the stroppy air resides. She inwardly sighed, trying to think of something to talk about (since just leaving was very impolite for her to do, plus, she couldn't just leave Cliff here now that they talked).

"It's, um, nice here, don't you think?" Claire nervously asked, hands clasped behind her back as she eyed the floor while rocking her feet forward and backward—something she always does whenever she nervous, guilty, and awkward. And right now, it was a complete blend of nervous and awkward. "I meant the town… justsoyouknow." She added, glancing at him before returning her eyes on the ground.

_Cliff, _she thought, _I know I only knew you for like, five minutes, but could you please stop being so awkward? _She inwardly pleaded, chewing her cheeks. _Or maybe I'm the awkward one… but surely he's the nervous and shy one. He's awkward too. But what the heck, what am I—_

"I—yeah, I'm actually liking it here," Cliff answered, which made Claire less nervous and awkward. He sounded a little confident. "So, um, how's farming? Do you… find it hard?"

And that question turned on Claire's switch.

And all her nervousness and awkwardness were washed away.

She groaned, planting her hands on her cheeks in frustration. "Oh, tell me about it! I had no _idea _on what I was doing in my field! I just kept walking around it and wondered about those random tree stumps and rocks. I mean, how they get there?" she rambled, unaware of the amused face Cliff had on as she kept on gesturing with her hands. "Think about it, Cliff, they wouldn't just pop up randomly everyday, right? And then there was Won appearing on my doorstep one day, said he was selling these apples with weirdly long names like Super Ultra Good Amazing Wow apple or something. I didn't care so I just shut him up by buying the first apple he mentioned then he said something about me buying it," she scoffed, "way to point out the obvious…" she folded her arms over her chest as she frowned.

Cliff chuckled lowly at her, which made her Claire look up at him and laugh along. "Should we sit?" he offered with a smile, and Claire nodded. So they sat down on the first pew, both of them slightly turned to each other. "Okay, go on."

Claire smiled at him. "Anyway, the other day I went to Won's shop to check out some of his other stuff—I don't want to buy any more apples from that guy—but miraculously, when I walked in, Zack asked me if I could have his old fishing ro—"

"Ouch!" Cliff shouted, and only then Claire realized she had stretched her arms far too wide in sheer happiness that she managed to hit Cliff's face.

"Oh I'm so sorry I didn't mean that, Cliff!" she said, half-apologetic, in between soft laughter, as she planted her hand on his arm. Her laugh was growing until she covered her mouth with her free hand and bent forward, her golden hair cascading down her shoulders which were shaking. Cliff started to chuckle. She looked up, grinning. "So—sorry…!" she said, chuckling, "I—I didn't mean to laugh… it was just so funny!"

Cliff laughed softly. "I—it's alright," he said, "… still hurts though."

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you like how this turned out to be, haha. Well, I actually like it myself. :) I just hope that Cliff was alright here, lol, and Claire too. If you have any suggestions, opinions, comments, critiques, feel free to PM me or review! Cheers for my first HM fanfic!


	2. Summer

**Four Seasons**

**A/N: **Hullo!~ Sorry for the short absence, writer's block got me for a while. ;; Anyway, yes this chapter is looooong, but I hope it won't bore you out! I actually like how it turned out. But I hope it's fluffy, haha. By the way, this chapter is dedicated to **Christie Ralte **and **lavendercookie**! Thank you so much for the reviews! (Oh, and **lavendercookie**, I'd be more than glad to receive constructive feedback from you! PM me if you want, or leave it in your review! Thank you in advance!)

**DISCLAIMER: **_Kleia does not own Harvest Moon, Yasuhiro Wada does._

* * *

**Summer**

_When he walked her home._

* * *

"Imagine if Peanut was here…" Claire dejectedly muttered beside Cliff, who lightly chuckled at her comical sadness.

It was the first day of summer, and the day before, Kai had invited Claire and the townspeople to his seaside lodge. But that wasn't the only thing that has been brewing about in the town. After she got out of her house first thing at six o'clock, she was surprised to find the mayor in front of her, joyfully greeting her a good morning before he told her about the summer festival—or rather, the dog disk competition. Of course, Claire was excited to enter, only to be interrupted by Thomas saying: "Only mature dogs are allowed to enter Claire. From what I know, yours is still a puppy. Better luck next year!" And with that, he bid her goodbye and left her property.

Claire sighed in sheer disappointment as Cliff stared at her in her peripheral. "Don't worry, Claire. There's still next year," he told her, and Claire smiled at his effort to cheer her up. She nodded at him, and he returned the gesture. "… I think it's about to start." He pointedly said, eyeing the competitors and their dogs, and the townsfolk cheering them on.

She turned her attention to the competition and nudged on Cliff's left arm. She slightly turned her head to Cliff. "I bet that guy in blue is going to win. I'm sure of it," she half-whispered, earning an amused chuckle from the brown-haired boy beside her.

"But what if you're wrong?" he asked her, gaze still on the competition that was already starting. "I actually bet on yellow." He added.

Claire confidently smiled. "I'm not. Wait 'til you see…" she trailed off, snickering as she cupped both sides of her mouth. "GO GUY IN BLUE! YOU CAN DO IT!" she cheered loudly, causing some of the people to glance at her, laughing and cheering on their guessed winners. ("Yeah, go guy in blue! Also that yellow guy! A bit of luck from me to the guy in red! Also to the guy in green! Do your best!" Popuri loudly cheered.) Claire turned her head to Cliff, the smug grin not leaving her face. "What's gonna happen if he _doesn't _win?" she asked him, voice self-assured.

"Um…" Cliff pondered, slightly cocking his head up to the bright sky for a few moments before once again turning to Claire, who eyed him expectantly. "You have to go to the fireworks festival with me." He told her confidently, looking at her straight in the eye with a smile.

Claire blinked one twice thrice to let it sink in. "What," she began, "kind of punishment is _that_?"

Cliff then shrunk, blushing as he eyed the sand. Claire smiled, clearly amused at how easily he gets affected by other people's comments. "I—I don't know… thought it was a good one…" he muttered. "… And I, uh, couldn't think… of anything else…" he added in a small voice, causing Claire to chuckle. He blushed more.

"Okay, here's the deal," she began, slightly bowing her head as if to peek at his face. "If my guy wins, you have to take care of my farm for one whole week. See what it's like living on a farm," she chuckled malevolently, causing Cliff to shoot his eyes at her in shock and fear. "_But_!" she raised a finger, standing up straight as she put her other arm behind her back. "But if your guy wins, then I'll have to cook you curry rice for one week, given that I know how to cook it." She finished and held out her hand for him to seal the deal. "Okay?"

"B—but what if… none of them wins?"

"That's a good question, dear friend of mine," Claire said, scrunching up her face to show that she's in profound thought. She then smiled at him after a couple of moments. "Then we both have to do our punishments!" she finalized, once again reaching out her hand for him to shake. When Cliff still wasn't shaking, she raised a brow at him. "Or do you have something else?"

"U—um… we could… watchthefireworkstogether?" he quickly and timidly suggested, once again eyeing the sand as his face was being painted a lovely shade of red.

Claire blinked at him and neared her ear to his face. "Sorry, what?" she asked, not because she wanted to mock him in saying it again to make him more flustered. She really didn't hear what he said—with what all the noises the people made around them, of course she really wouldn't hear that kind of volume in this kind of area!

Cliff sighed, his breath reaching her ear, causing her to shiver a tad bit. "I—we… we could…" he began, "watch the fireworks… together…" he said again, his voice diminishing as he finished his sentence.

Luckily for him, Claire heard what he said and stood up straight, looking at him amusedly. "You're _really _pushing that through, huh?" she asked him, planting her hands on her hips.

Cliff glanced at her. "Well—I—yeah…"

"Okay then," Claire simply said as she shrugged, blinking at Cliff who shot his head up at her. He looked like a lost puppy (and was that a gleam of utter happiness in his eyes?) and it made her laugh. He blushed again. "Well you _really _want it, so why not? Plus I bet it'd be fun!" she added, her thoughts drifting off to the fireworks festival.

Obviously, she'd seen a lot of fireworks as she was from the city. But it bothered her that people nowadays just randomly do fireworks shows everywhere, so she always sees and hears fireworks, and because of that, she considered that the people from the city don't think of fireworks as special anymore. So seeing how Mineral Town had a festival for it (she asked Thomas to give her all the festivals they had all year round), she couldn't help but spring up in joy.

She turned her attention to Cliff, once again holding out her hand. "So, deal?"

"I—okay…" Cliff answered, taking her hand, shaking it. He smiled at her, and Claire returned the gesture.

"_Congratulations to competitor number four_!" Thomas announced to the crowd, breaking Cliff and Claire's smiles at each other. They both turned their heads to where Thomas was, as he was standing beside a man in yellow. "Next is…"

Claire slowly turned to Cliff.

Cliff was smiling at her confidently.

"Damn that guy in yellow…" Claire mumbled, slightly glaring at the proud winner of the competition.

"Guess you have to cook me curry for a week," Cliff stated, chuckling.*

Claire sighed, "Yeah…"

The people started to disperse after congratulating the winners and talking for some while. Claire had to talk for a moment with Popuri and Kai about the upcoming chicken festival and Kai's seaside lodge—he was really proud about it—before waving Cliff and her a goodbye. She then turned to Cliff with a smile. "Well then, I have to head home—"

"I—uh, c—can I walk you, um, h—home…?" Cliff abruptly and shyly asked, cutting Claire off. "I—I mean it's, um… late… s—so…"

Claire stared at him, wide-eyed, then she began to chuckle as she took a few steps toward the stairs leading to Rose Square. "Sure, Cliff, c'mon," she said, climbing up the stairs, Cliff shyly following suit.

Spring was over and Claire could clearly remember her first encounter with the timid boy. She giggled to herself upon remembering their first happenstance. Cliff was actually alright—a good friend. Sure, there were some times when he'd suddenly slouch and blush, but it still takes her aback whenever he gets confident so suddenly. Sometimes she starts to think he has two personalities lying deep inside of him.

During the times they've spent together in the church or inn, Carter would always butt in their conversations—mostly about themselves, of course leaving out the private stuff, and other random things that pop in their minds—with a gentle smile, and Doug would always eye both of them in the inn, and Claire would always see amusement, curiosity, and a hint of proudness in their eyes.

"H—hey, um, Claire?" Cliff called out beside her, causing her to snap her head at him, slightly tilting her head in question. She watched as Cliff placed his hands behind his back as he looked up pensively, a small smile decorating his features. "I—um, I just wanted to s—say that…" his voice faded and Claire blinked. He turned his head to her, smile growing. "Thanks for being my friend… I—I appreciate y—that very much." He gratefully said, roses manifestly tinting his cheeks even in the dark.

Claire beamed at him, hands at her back and head slightly tilted forward, her golden locks cascading forward. "Thank you too, Cliff." She said and instantly, a comfortable silence enveloped itself around them until they've reached Claire's farm.

Once they were in front of her doorstep, and Claire was holding onto the doorknob, she looked at him and instantly smiled. "Thanks for the walk home, Cliff,"

"I—you're welcome…" he bashfully replied, a blush covering his cheeks once again.

Claire laughed, slightly opening the door behind her. "So, see you at the inn tomorrow before lunch?" she asked, and when Cliff gave her a look of question, her smile grew wider. "Curry," she simply reminded, and she earned a curt nod from Cliff. "Well, good night."

"Good night, Claire. I'll see you tomorrow."

Claire smiled, turning her back—

"We'll still see the—the fireworks… right?"

She blinked multiple times before turning her head to Cliff, slightly taken aback at his question. Looking at him in this darkness, she could still decipher what emotions he had on—shock, hope, determination, and shyness. And she couldn't help but bob her head up and down, slowly but surely. "I—um," she cleared her throat, for she found her voice somewhat raspy. "Y—yeah, Cliff. Sure," she answered, since she thought that maybe her nod wasn't visible enough for him.

Cliff's lips twitched upward. "Okay… good night, Claire…"

She returned the smile. "Good night."

* * *

_When he asked her about her standards._

* * *

It was twelve in the afternoon, and Claire was on her way to the inn, Cliff's curry rice in her hands. It's already the fourth day since she's been bringing him his treat for his win on their bet. (On the first day she gave him his curry rice, he dug in, saying it was really good—and it boosted up her confidence in cooking.) Admittedly, Claire _did _need some help on her farm—with her chickens, her cow, her crops and the huge field that still needs cleaning, it was obvious that one puny little girl like her couldn't do it on her own! But of course the Harvest Goddess was against her on that day and decided that the yellow guy should win. She inwardly grumbled at the thought, but instantly brushed it off, focusing on bringing Cliff his beloved curry rice.

Once she was in front of the door of the inn, she turned the knob and entered. "Good afternoon, Ann!" she energetically shouted at Ann, who was wiping the glasses and plates at the counter, happily greeting her back with a wave. Claire knew that Ann noticed the curry rice in her hands, since she pointed to her right. Claire let her eyes follow Ann's finger and found Cliff sitting at the leftmost chair by the counter. She chuckled. She had greeted Ann loudly, yet he still didn't snap out of his thoughts. He really thinks too much.

She strolled over to where Cliff was and took the seat beside him, once again beaming at Ann, who returned the gesture. She reverted her attention back to Cliff. "_Hey_ there, stranger," she happily greeted, making sure that the 'hey' was abrupt and loud.

Cliff lightly jumped on his seat, causing Claire to laugh—her head bending backwards as she brought her two hands up to her mouth, eyes tightly closed. As she was laughing, she could hear Cliff's soft and annoyed 'hey' and 'that's mean'. She then sat up properly and looked at him, eyes crinkling at its edges. She pushed the curry rice toward him. "Here you go,"

"Th—thanks, Claire…" Cliff said in low voice as he unwrapped the plastic foil that covered the dish transparently.

Claire chuckled as she watched Cliff blankly stare at the dish. "Ann, could you give Cliff a spoon and a fork, please?" she politely asked in a loud voice, turning over to where Ann was.

"Of course!" Ann replied and Claire watched as she fished the utensils out of a container and walked over to them, a smile on her face. She ceased walking when she was in front of Cliff. "Here, Cliff," she said, presenting him the utensils he needed. ("… Thanks, Ann…" he shyly muttered, not even looking at her in the eye.) Ann still smiled even when he wasn't looking. "You could've just asked, you know?" she said, clearly entertained by his shyness. Cliff replied with a mortified blush as he quietly started eating.

"So, Claire," Ann said, turning to Claire, her braided ginger hair swishing to her side. "What's with you bringing Cliff curry everyday?"

"Well," Claire began, "during the summer beach festival, Cliff and I made a bet on who's gonna win. I betted on blue and he on yellow. And… he won the bet…" she answered, her voice fading as she ended her sentence, lightly sighing in defeat.

Ann chuckled. "What would happen if you won?"

"He'd help me with my farm work."

"That'd surely be a huge bonus! I don't know how it feels like to have your own farm, but I bet it's really hard to do everything on your own!" Ann exclaimed, eyes widening in awe and shock. She planted her arms on the counter. "Running the inn is already hard sometimes, but a farm? I just can't believe you're able to work hard on your own, Claire."

Claire chuckled. "Yeah, _tell _me about it…" she exasperatedly said, warily closing her eyes as she planted her elbow in the counter, breathing her bangs out of her eyes.

She heard Ann chuckle. "Anyway, I have to get back to cleaning. See you two later?" she asked, and Claire nodded joyfully. Ann then returned to her original place, once again wiping the glasses and other utensils while humming a tune.

Claire suddenly giggled, turning to Cliff, who still had a slight blush on his cheeks. "Cliff, why weren't you saying anything?" she asked him, amused, while she slightly leaned forward to get a better view of his face—he was flushed. He had some smears of brown near his lips, which made Claire's smile widen. He's such a child. She lightly shook her head at the thought. "Well?" she pushed, after noticing that she still hasn't received the answer to her question.

"I was… I was eating…?" he sheepishly answered, glancing at her before blushing furiously.

Claire laughed as she shook her head. "Don't tell me it's because you like Ann?" she asked him in a small and charmed voice, making sure that the person mentioned didn't hear her.

Cliff started to choke on his curry rice and instantly, Claire was patting him on the back as Ann brought him a glass of water, a worried look on her face she kept on asking Cliff if he was alright. Claire smiled at Ann gratefully, and she returned the gesture. She walked back to her wiping once again afterwards. Claire returned her attention to Cliff and watched him as he took one big gulp from the glass of water and set it down on the counter, the glass already empty. He wiped his mouth and looked at her, still flustered.

His shoulders hunched as he turned to look at the dish in front of him. Claire tilted her head to the side, attempting to get a better look of him. "I—I… don't like her… I mean… not in _that_ way…" he answered, more timid than ever. Claire blinked and he blushed even more.

"Then who do you like?"

Claire slightly withdrew her head and blinked as Cliff suddenly shot his head up and stared ahead of him, face as red as a ripe tomato. "Cliff?" she called out, tilting her head to the side as she narrowed her eyebrows at him. _This guy, _she thought, _is really strange._ She watched Cliff turning to look at her, obviously trying to control the blood rushing to his cheeks.

"Y—I—um… I—I like someone else… that's not Ann…" he answered, fiddling with his fingers, eyebrows knotted.

Claire tilted her head to the other side. She chuckled. "Okay then," she simply answered with a smile, "I won't force you into telling me who you like."

Cliff nodded, inhaling deeply and exhaling just as well. "D—do you… like someone…?"

"Well…" Claire broodingly said, planting her index finger on her chin as her blue eyes stared at the ceiling. "I never really gave much thought about things like that. I mean, I guess I was too busy dealing with my farm that I didn't have time to like someone in a romantic way yet." She answered, then turned her gaze back to Cliff, who blinked at her and nodded. She found that attitude of him pretty endearing.

"Claire… what do you look for… i—in a guy?"

She blinked at him. Since when was Cliff interested in relationships?

"What I look for in a guy, huh?" she repeated, shrugging off her mental question. "Hm, well, I like a guy who likes me for me, you know? A guy who cares about me and would be there for me when I need him. And I like a guy who's himself, too. He doesn't need to be someone else in front of me. That's all." She shrugged and Cliff nodded, slightly blushing. _What on earth was that for? _She inwardly asked but she didn't bother asking him why, since she knew he might freak out again. Not that she didn't like that side of Cliff—sometimes—but she just doesn't want him to stumble over his words again. He was probably just curious.

"Anyway," she said, breaking the ice between them. Cliff looked up at her. "I have to go. I still have some leftover chores to do," she explained with a tired laugh. Cliff nodded. She started to walk towards the entrance. "Thanks for your time, Cliff! I appreciate it. Maybe I'll see you later, or just come by when you feel like it!" she called out, reaching out for the door's handle and exiting the inn, walking back to her farm to continue where she left off, her thoughts drifting away to Cliff and his odd question.

* * *

_When they celebrated the fireworks festival together._

* * *

Claire knew in herself that she was punctual, and was the kind of person to always make sure she was neat to look at. But upon finding out that it was already three minutes until six o'clock, she dashed out of her farm towards the beach, not even bothering to clean up her mess in her field—she reluctantly dropped her scythe and axe when she found out the time—and herself. She guessed that her hair was tangled and her overalls were dirty. She mentally cursed herself as she panted, still running by the Yodel Farm.

_You're about to watch a show with all of the people in Mineral Town, Claire, _she tsked to herself, _what's more, you're gonna watch it with Cliff in this condition! Goddess, _she inwardly shouted, hardly pounding on her head a few times before running down the stairs leading to the beach. She paused for a brief moment, planting her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. She then stood straight, running her hands through her golden hair, pursing her lip as her hand would sometimes get stuck in her tangles. She ironed out her overalls and once again fixed her hair. _I hope I look good… _she thought in disappointment.

With a light sigh, her blue eyes scanned the area in search for Cliff. Once she spotted him, she slowly made her way towards him, waving and smiling at the people who said hi to her. She noticed how most of them were paired up—Rick with Karen, Popuri with Kai, Doctor and Elli, even Gray was with Mary. She blinked at the partners—

She bumped unto someone and she didn't know who that was. She took a step back and eyed the ponytail that was moving. Cliff turned his head to look at her with shock, but it immediately turned into a smile upon the sight of Claire, who smiled back.

"Hi, Claire," Cliff softly said as he stepped sideward, giving Claire a space beside him. "What took you so long?"

Claire sighed blearily, now standing beside him on the sand. "I was so focused on finishing up my field until I looked at my watch and noticed that it was already five fifty-seven… then I ran here—I didn't even bother to clean up…!" she confessed, eyebrows knotted as she kicked on the sand, embarrassed. "… I think I look so dirty…" she muttered, lowering her head as she blushed in discomfiture.

"I think you look pretty," Cliff suddenly said, causing Claire to snap her head up at him, eyes wide in shock as a light blush crept to her cheeks. "I—I mean…" he said, biting his lip. "It—it isn't obvious that… you just came from work…"

A smile slowly crept on Claire's lips. "Thanks, Cliff,"

Cliff glanced at her, sheepishly nodding. Claire returned the nod and suddenly began to look around, searching for someone.

"What's wrong?" Cliff asked, worry etched in his voice.

Claire didn't turn to look at him and kept on searching. "I don't see Ann around…" she pointedly said, narrowing her eyes at the dusky beach.

"Oh she's actually with her dad over there," Cliff explained, gesturing his hand to where Ann and Doug were, and when Claire saw the two of them together, she felt happy and sad at the same time and she didn't know that that could happen.

Claire could feel that Ann had been liking Cliff. She didn't know when or how or why, but she just _felt _it. She sees it in the way Ann gazes over at Cliff. It wasn't the usual way someone would stare at another person, no. Her eyes showed something more than just a friendly gaze. She saw the other day when she gave Cliff his curry, when she gave him his utensils and when he choked. Worry, amusement, happiness—those were seen on her face, and admiration. But when her eyes traveled to Claire's—a tinge of happiness, sadness, jealousy, all mixed together. And that mixture made Claire a bit downcast. She knew that she had to keep her distance for Ann to have her chance—that was most likely to happen.

But she couldn't simply just avoid Cliff like that. It would be treating him as if he was a toy that had suddenly been misplaced, and would be forgotten by the owner forever. He would be a lost thing. He would be forgotten. Claire didn't want that—she didn't _need _that. They're good friends. She wouldn't just throw that position away so simply like how trash is being thrown away by people—

"Are you… all right, Claire?"

Unknowingly, Claire slightly jumped at Cliff's sudden question. She snapped her head to him, shocked and saddened. "I—yeah," she said, almost too quickly and rather unsurely as she got her head to bob up and down slowly, eyeing him in what she hoped as reassurance. She noticed Cliff's worried look but decided to pretend she didn't see it and turned her attention to the ocean, and the scenery immediately soothed her.

"The fireworks show is about to start," Cliff said beside her, and she nodded.

Within a minute or two of waiting, the sound of a loud _boom _suddenly erupted far in front of them in the middle of the ocean. Then something close to a shooting star sped in the middle of the dusk sky, smoke tailing behind it. Claire widened her eyes as it exploded in front of them and she felt like the colorful ashes were nearing her and it caused her to retrieve a step in reflex. Her eyes reflected the color red as it kept on widening in awe. The glitters—or so she'd like to call them—slowly evaporated in the clouds. Another one came off. This time it was blue and it formed a shape of a diagonal oval and it amazed her so much she squealed in joy and she didn't care anymore about the people around her.

"Cliff did you see that it was amazing," she said hurriedly in pure joy as Cliff chuckled at her, agreeing with her statement.

Unconsciously she linked her arm around Cliff's. Maybe it was a habit maybe she just wanted to do it but she didn't know why she did it. She knew after a few seconds that her arm was linked to Cliff's but she didn't mind that for now. She was enjoying. She didn't want to end up being awkward. So she just acted as if they normally linked their arms together and just enjoyed the show until she realized a few minutes later that it was already over and it had been three hours since the show started.

She sighed, still not removing her arm from Cliff's. "Time flew by so fast…!" she exclaimed a bit sad and a bit tired from all the watching.

The people slowly left the beach, satisfied smiles plastered on their faces for watching a fireworks show with the ones they love or the ones they have been liking. Admittedly, while Claire was watching the show, she could feel the romantic ether surrounding the area, and it somewhat made her uncomfortable. Maybe it's because she went with Cliff as friends—that's what she thought, she wouldn't know what Cliff was thinking—or maybe it's because all the twosomes who watched were her pairings.

"C—can I walk you home…?" Cliff suddenly asked, breaking Claire out of her thoughts.

Claire smiled as the breeze carrying nostalgia slapped her, causing her golden hair to dance with it. She still remembered when and how Cliff had asked her this, and it gave her a funny and unexplainable feeling in the pits of her stomach. "Of course, Cliff," she said while chuckling, turning her back on him. She strolled towards the stairs and slightly turned her head to him. "C'mon." she urged, gesturing her head to move.

Once they set foot on Rose Square, Claire couldn't help but feel so wistful. She discreetly glanced at Cliff, who also seemed to be in his own little world. That was one of the many things she knew about Cliff—he thinks too much. Goddess would know what he was thinking about, but Claire understood that he was always in profound thought. She knew that he had been taking it all in he had been so courageous he had been so good at hiding and Claire couldn't help but think when he will just explode from all his bottled up emotions.

It wasn't like she wanted him to break down in front of her or everyone. She knew that Cliff wouldn't like that either. But she just wondered how long until his timer was set. When his bravery would expire. When his little façade would end.

By far, Cliff was one of the valiant people Claire had ever met. She felt how depressed he was how contrite how grief-stricken about everything and he impugned everything on himself. She suddenly felt pity but she brushed it off. She looked up to Cliff. He was strong. And she felt that with every smile she gave him and with every smile he returned, it took such a big effort it took him to swim an ocean filled with sharks and electric eels and whirlpools it took him to pass through a whole field of thorns it took him to jump off a skyscraper and land on the ground barely alive. It took him everything. And she hoped that with every smile she gave and every smile he returned, she was saving him.

_Saving him from what? _She asked herself.

_From the thing that's been consuming him, _her other half answered and with that, she fully turned her head to get a better look at Cliff, and saw that he was still drowning in his ocean of thoughts. She slightly frowned, but let herself be buried in reminiscence as they walked down the path where the Yodel Ranch, Poultry Farm, and Saibara the Blacksmith were.

"… This somehow feels… nostalgic," she began, her voice somewhat tiny and she hoped Cliff heard her. "Right, Cliff…?" she turned to look at Cliff, who clearly looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I—yeah," he answered, and Claire could hint in his voice the uncertainty of what he was agreeing at. She just smiled. "Claire…?" he called out.

Claire looked at him, raising a brow. "Yeah?" she asked. She waited for a moment. Cliff still wasn't saying anything. She was feeling edgy. "What is it, Cliff?" she asked once more, louder this time, since she thought that perhaps Cliff didn't hear her acknowledgement.

"Ah, I—nothing, nothing…" he said, a bit too quickly.

And with that, a rigid silence enveloped around them, Cliff's words hanging in the ether. Claire frowned. She didn't like people who didn't continue what they were about to say. It leaves her incomplete, edgy, expectant. She always wants to find out things. She wanted to know—

"What… what are you thinking about…?" she asked in a small voice as she lightly tugged at the hem of Cliff's shirt. She came to a halt and soon he also ceased walking, turning around to look at her. She stole a glance at him and saw that he was eyeing the cobblestone ground. Soon she realized that they were in the middle of the intersecting paths. A soft wind blew past them.

"I was thinking…" Cliff began, and Claire slowly removed her hand from his shirt. "… about the fireworks festival… if—if you liked it… a—and if you'll be happier… if we hung out more…"

Claire's lips curved into a smile. "Cliff," she called out lovingly. "I loved the fireworks festival," she said in a matter-of-factly tone of voice, "and of course I'll be happier if we hung out more. But you don't think we spend time together as much as you thought?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

Cliff pursed his lips and Claire could see him blushing even in this darkness. "I—I wanted us… to hang out… e—everyday…"

"Everyday?"

He nodded.

She blinked. "Well, okay then, if you want to," Claire simply said, eyes somewhat wide. "I—I mean…! It's not like I don't want us to hang out everyday… I'm just shocked is all… if that's what you're thinking about…" she finished, her voice diminishing as she ended. "Why'd you think of that, Cliff?" she asked after a short moment of silence, utterly curious.

"… Well—I just… want to, uh, talk to you more…" he shyly admitted.

Claire chuckled, taking a small step forward. She was beside him. "Okay," she beamed, "I think I won't be able to go to the church at any time…" she explained as she began walking towards her home, looking back to see Cliff tailing behind her. "So just stop by at my farm whenever you feel like it so we can hang out. Okay, Cliff?"

"Okay then," Cliff smiled as he nodded, and Claire returned the gesture.

_This is what I always look forward to when I'm around Cliff, _she thought happily, _his rare smile._

* * *

**A/N: **I was actually thinking if Cliff stuttered a lot, lol. I just really hope he's in character. Anyway! Fall is up next, and maybe the angst will start from there, huehue. (Though I'm not very good at angst... welp, time to go read angsty stories!) I actually based this off of Hibi Chou Chou, haha. (Any fans out there? I need some fangirling, haha!) When Kawasumi asked Suiren if he can walk her home. GOSH. THE FEELS. I CANNOT EVEN.

_Cliff stated, chuckling.* - _To be honest, at the whole part they were betting I was so torn between letting Claire lose, letting Cliff lose, and letting both of them lose. It was one of the hardest decisions in my whole life. Joke. But I'm half-serious. I had to ask my sister to pick a number for me to choose fair and square, haha. XD

_Anyway, if you have any suggestions/comments/opinions/etc., do so by dropping a review or leaving me a PM! I won't bite! ^ w ^_


	3. Fall

**Four Seasons**

**A/N: **Hullo! Sorry again for the short absence! It was really hard to write the angst for this... (I had to read my favorite authors' angsty stories for this, lol.) But I do hope it's angsty enough for you! (That it'll make you cry or something...) Cliff _might _be a bit out of character or something. Please bear with me since I rarely write angst! Anyway, I hope you'll like it! By the way, thank you **YellowMoonFlower **and **Christie Ralte **for your reviews! This is dedicated to you, lol!

**DISCLAIMER: **_Kleia does not own Harvest Moon. Yasuhiro Wada does._

* * *

**Fall**

_When she had the key to his true self. _

* * *

Claire believed in strong friendship—a friendship so powerful that 'stuck together like paper glued together' is used when describing the two friends. However, sometimes Claire still couldn't believe that the people in Mineral Town used that phrase to describe Cliff and her whenever they're together. She just didn't think they'd end up _that _close in the end.

Admittedly, at first, Claire felt like she was talking to a brick wall professionally sculptured into a human being—mainly a brown-haired man who has his hair tied up into a low ponytail and a set of brown eyes who always seems to be in love with the floor. Not to mention the fact that this 'brick wall' could only do so much as to eat his words and blush furiously whenever he messes up and ends up not talking anyway making the situation more awkward, if possible enough. To put it bluntly, it's always Claire that has to do the talking.

But she'll gladly admit that Cliff never fails to surprise her during their first encounter. One moment he'll stutter and furrow his eyebrows as if he doesn't even know what he's talking about, then the next moment he'll look at you straight in the eyes with a small smile as he tells you what he feels or what he's thinking about.

Claire let out a small giggle as she remembered the first time he spoke to her without doing either of the three he usually does: blushing, stuttering, and being awkward as hell. But she immediately regretted pointing that out to him, since he recoiled to his usual shy self. (Honestly, if he asked her what animal he would be, she'll bluntly tell him he'd be a turtle. And if he'd ask why, she'll say 'go figure.')

But then again, that was the Cliff she met two seasons ago. That was the 'hi-I'm-Cliff-and-I'm-actually-a-brick-wall-in-disguise' Cliff. But the Cliff she knew now—she was with in this moment, was another Cliff. It was the Cliff who was finally comfortable with her. And she was glad delighted honored to see this side of him that he rarely shows anyone else (but Carter).

"What are you thinking about, Claire?" Cliff intervened her train of thoughts, shifting in his position beneath the tree carefully so as not to catch the attention of the bees above them.

They've both been sitting in silence for a while now, but Claire couldn't complain. The silences they have aren't awkward anymore. It was the silence she could indulge in. The silence of simply enjoying each other's company without having to utter a word. They knew they were contented because their souls says so. And Claire couldn't hold in the smile she'd kept. These are one of the moments she'd loved having to spend with Cliff. Only Cliff knew how to do these.

She sighed in content. "I was thinking about," she began, her voice unexpectedly high, "how talking to you before was like talking to a brick wall." She stated, and chuckled as she saw the offended look on Cliff's face. "Hey, it's true anyway!" she defensively added, playfully leaning on him as she laughed, but Cliff didn't seem to be satisfied.

"I'm doing well now, aren't I?" he asked, obviously conscious that Claire thought of him that way before, it was apparent in the tone.

Claire gave a brief nod. "Yup," she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them. "Honestly? I like the not-shy Cliff better than the shy one, even though you were kinda cute when you were shy." Claire pointedly said, giggling as Cliff blushed at the corner of her eyes. "You openly talk and laugh along with people now, and that's great, really."

"Yeah? Well it's all thanks to you,"

Claire snapped her head at him, feeling roses bloom on her cheeks.

"You were the one who made me talk openly, really. Besides Carter that is," he chuckled lightly, "well Carter was always inside the Church, and so far, only Jeff, Popuri, and Tim visited the church. But all of them didn't talk to me that much, we only said our hellos. And that's it. Carter's a good guy. He's a person you'll feel really comfortable talking to. But, yeah, he never goes out of the church, either he goes in the confessional or to that other door in the church." He explained, leaning back on the trunk of the tree as he folded his arms over his chest, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Claire slightly tilted her head forward. "What about Gray? Or Doug and Ann?"

"Well what about them?" he looked at her with a shrug.

"Don't you cross paths with them every time you enter the inn?" she asked, genuinely curious. "And isn't Gray your roommate?"

He shrugged again. "Yeah Gray and I are roommates, but that doesn't mean that we're close." He stated, as if it was very obvious. "Same goes for Ann and Doug." He added. He took a slightly deep breath. "The thing is, you'll meet a lot of people but only a few have the key to the real you. Get what I mean? You meet people… but that doesn't mean that they have to see or talk to you everyday about anything and everything. You meet them for the sake of meeting new people. It's up to you to choose if you'll keep talking to them or not."

Claire slowly nodded in understanding. "I see… So I had the key, huh?"

"Fortunately," Cliff smiled and Claire returned the gesture. "I'm glad… that we've come this far being good friends."

"I think we're more likely to be best friends, though, but I'm glad too. It's a really nice feeling… knowing that you have many friends but there's one person who you're most comfortable with. It's really nice. I'm glad." Claire absent-mindedly smiled as she pulled her knees closer to her chest, heaving a satisfied sigh. "I like how we openly tell each other things."

"Me too."

It shocked Claire that she realized now that it was only the start of fall and it was getting cold and dark and it has been two seasons since she and Cliff knew each other. She turned to her crops that took almost half of her field. After all, fall was the busiest season of the entire year. She turned her attention back to Cliff.

"It's getting—"

They looked at each other, smiles growing on their faces as they realized they both spoke at the same time.

"I should go—"

Laughter was produced by the two.

"Thanks… for the great time Claire," Cliff then said after his fit of laughter. "I'll drop by tomorrow."

Claire smiled. "Sure."

* * *

_When Duke asked for some help._

* * *

Claire felt her senses awaken one by one as she deeply inhaled the scent of fall in her humble abode. Eyes still closed, she groggily sat up and stretched, moaning as some joints popped. She then reluctantly dropped her hands on both her sides as she forced her sapphire eyes to open, being momentarily blinded by the soft sunlight shining through her window. In this kind of coldness, it's really hard to resist the temptation of being lazy all day. But she's running a farm. And that's one of the things she didn't like about farms. She had to be responsible.

"Ugh…" she grunted as she slid off of bed and groggily walked towards her drawers, fishing out her white flannel shirt and green overalls. She lazily walked towards her bathroom, and once she was in, she wasted no time as she peeled off her chicken-printed pajamas, put on her clothes for the day, and did the rest of her morning routine.

A knock on the door was heard the moment she got out of her bathroom. Curious, she walked to the door and opened it to see Duke in front of her, his usual smirk on his face. "Good morning, Claire. Sorry to disturb you," he greeted, and Claire shook her head in response. She was still wondering as to why Duke was in her doorstep so early in the morning. "Anyway Manna and I need some help in harvesting all the grapes—they grew out already. So drop by at the winery tomorrow at ten in the morning. That's all." He informed, earning a nod from Claire.

He returned the gesture and turned to walk towards the exit of the farm—

"Oh…!" he once again faced Claire. "You can also bring someone along. The more the merrier, right?" he continued with a grin, which Claire returned, until he finally left the farm.

Once she was sure that Duke was out of earshot, she rested her index finger on her chin, already in deep thought. _Who should I bring…? Cliff? _She shook her head with a fond smile, _nah… he doesn't like to be with a lot of people… especially the ones he rarely knows. Does he know Duke and Manna? Probably… _she frowned. _Then who should I bring? Mary? Ann? What about Popuri? Karen? Maybe May or Stu… Wait a minute, Karen likes wine, and tomorrow's a Sunday! _She grinned as she lightly pounded her fist on her other open palm, clearly delighted. _She would surely come! We've been hanging out too every time I visit the Supermarket. _

"… Then it's decided," She told herself happily, "Karen it is!"

* * *

_When it was the end of fall._

* * *

It was raining and Claire couldn't be more thankful to the weather lady on her television. She didn't have to water all her crops (which took most of her field) and all she did that day was take care of all her animals and give random gifts to the townspeople, who never seem to be bothered by her sudden giving of eggs and honey. She hummed a soft tune as she held her umbrella loosely. Not knowing where else to go, her feet decided that she'll go to the beach, so she did. She hasn't been visiting the beach since summer, so it wouldn't hurt—

Why is Cliff by the dock? Why is he holding some bags? Why is Doug there with him?

Why do they look… sad?

What is happening?

Is—no. He can't be.

Can he?

Why would he?

Why should he?

Her heart is attempting to break free from its cage and panic rushed to every part of her body that she felt stiff that her hand let go of her umbrella that she ran to them on impulse and her thoughts were running with her but faster than her. It was racing all over it was consuming her insides. It scared her.

She must've been heard because Doug and Cliff snapped their heads to her at the same time and when her eyes caught Cliff's she couldn't help but feel an ocean of feelings in her.

"Claire what are you—"

"… What's going on?" she asked immediately, cutting off Doug as her eyes rapidly traveled to Cliff and Doug alternatively.

She cringed at her own voice. It was trembling it was heavy it was filled with emotions a lot of them and she couldn't even name or count all of them because she was so hopeful at Cliff's answer and he was the only person she could see at the moment and she didn't know why.

He took a breath and she held hers.

"I—I'm leaving…" he simply said, but those two words were enough to split her insides into a million.

Tears started to prick her eyes, and the first question that came to mind was the one she asked: "Why…? Why didn't you tell me?"

And that was it. They started freely flowing down her cheeks and she did nothing to stop it because she wanted to show him that cared that she was affected that she didn't want him to go. She felt like she was drowning but she wasn't in the sea in the first place. She felt like she was out of breath but she didn't run for too long. She felt a lot.

Her eyes were wide and his were landing on the ground. "I… I didn't… want you to worry… I didn't want to tell you… that I don't have much money left with me…"

Anger.

"Well you're an idiot, Cliff. Because I would really worry. Because it's normal for friends to worry about their friends. Isn't that what friends are for? Aren't I supposed to be with you all the time? I'm supposed to help you when you need help, right? Am I not a friend to you, Cliff?" She hated that feeling she gets in her throat while she talks when she just about to cry all over again. She loathed it. "Well because _you _are a _friend _to _me_. You're the only person I spent a long time with in this whole town. You're the only one I talk to almost every day about anything but I don't get bored at all. You're the one I depend on when I needed something! Because you're a friend! Because I trust you… damn it Cliff! I could've asked you to help me harvest with Duke and Manna if you told me! I could've helped you! I could've prevented you from leaving… you know? I could've done something."

She planted her wrist on her closed eye, her fingers closed as her lips reflexively stretched in deep sorrow.

It was her fault all along.

She felt cold but it must've been the rain. She felt broken but it must've been her voice. She felt tired but it must've been everything she went through today.

She felt warm because of the arms that wrapped themselves around her. She felt all of her broken pieces were stuck back together because of how tight the hug was. She felt like she was in bed because of how comfortable his arms felt.

And she hugged back, sobbing against the crook of his neck.

"… I'm sorry, Claire… I should've told you…"

She shook her head. It happened anyway.

They couldn't go back anymore.

Her eyes felt heavy against his neck. And she smiled about it. It was one of the things Cliff could do to her. He could make her relax no matter what the situation may be.

"You're…" she was drunk with her sleepiness. "A really great friend, Cliff… you always, always understood me… you were never bothered by my constant mood swings and rants…" she smiled as she closed her eyes. "You were always there for me… and you always wanted to make me happy… it's like you made it your responsibility now… I'm saying these because I wanted you to know how appreciated you are… and that this is what… I think about you and I'm saying these now because there might not be another time and place for me to say it… I might drown in regret, you know? I might start thinking, 'I wish I told him how amazing a friend he was.' I might shut myself out because that's how I am… I beat myself up sometimes… but not literally…!" she paused and breathed against his neck. "I don't even know where I'm going…"

She felt Cliff shake his head. "… You know what?" he began, but Claire didn't have enough strength to answer back, so she nodded against his neck as he started rubbing her back.

"You make me the happiest and saddest person at the same time."

She slowly opened her eyes.

"How could that be?" she innocently asked.

"… I'm still figuring it out. Only you can do it."

"Me? Since when?"

"Since we met." He answered, and he seemed so confident about it that Claire slightly smiled. "When you talked to me in the church, all I could think of is, 'I'm not really good with people, but I'm glad she just keeps the conversation going.' When we watched the fireworks together, I kept on thinking, 'I can't believe she's watching with me… but is she liking it?' And right now… well… I'll say it."

He paused.

"I'm happy that you appreciate me as your friend… and that we're hugging this long…"

Another pause from him.

"And I'm sad because I know I won't be going back in time to change things… to feel what you made me feel twice."

She felt like a rose with its petals rotting and falling one by one.

"You are amazing, Claire, and don't forget it. You inspire a lot of people, including me. And I'm saying this because this is what I feel about you… I mean, look at you, you're beautiful… in a lot of ways." She felt her heart jump and squeeze at the same time. And it was possible. She did feel happy and sad at the same time.

He laid his chin on her head. "You made me feel like I could be trusted. Like I could make a great friend. And… it's gonna be selfish of me but I'm happy that I see sides of you that no one else sees. It's a privilege, really. You're amazing, okay? It means what it means… I—I'm not very good at telling people how I feel… and well…" he sighed, and Claire anticipated what he was about to say. "You're a really great friend, and I'm glad that I met you…"

Claire slightly smiled, but was slightly disappointed too. _Did I expect him to say another thing? What did I want him to say? _She asked herself, truly confused at her own feelings, but she brushed them all away to savor this moment because she knew she wouldn't be feeling this another time again. _Right… no one would be able to replace Cliff… _

"I feel like…" she began softly as she adjusted her arms around his neck, "I'm having a beautiful nightmare."

"Yeah…"

They both stayed quiet and calm for a moment, as if both of them were drifting away in the sea and floating mindlessly together.

"Should we let go…?" Cliff suddenly asked.

Claire lightly shook her head no. "Not yet… not until your boat arrives… that's when we let go… really let go of everything." She said, voice slightly audible and cracking, and once again she felt the horrible feeling in her throat as she spoke—

A familiar and heartbreaking sound echoed through their ears, and Claire swore she felt Cliff wince.

"Well… this is…" she released a shaky breath. She started her countdown.

He hugged her tighter than before, stroking her hair and inhaling her scent that it made Claire feel so fluffy inside it's as if flowers started to bloom out of nowhere and now it crowded her brain her heart her lungs and as she was hugging back as tight she felt like a garden but when he was letting go she felt thorns a lot of them pricking on her insides and now she realized that the most beautiful feeling or thing in the world can destroy you too. Ten.

He stepped back, a sad smile on her face, but his eyes were one of the saddest things Claire ever saw. Nine.

She felt a pang in her chest. Eight. Then it rose up to her throat. Seven. Then to her mouth. Six. To her eyes. Five.

"By the way, I forgot to tell you…" he said and slightly blushed. "I like you, Claire… a lot." Four.

She lightly gasped.

Tears flowed down her face. Three.

_Were these the words I was expecting to hear from him…?_

Then she just said it she didn't know how she didn't know why but maybe it was her conscience talking: "… I like you too Cliff…"

He smiled. Two.

A honk from the boat.

"Goodbye…"

She bit her cheeks and fought the stiffness spreading through her body and waved at him. "… Bye…" One.

Once Cliff got on the boat she stood her ground and until she was sure he was out of eyeshot, she exploded. She let her sadness and anguish consume her erupt her destroy her slowly only for this day. She isn't even crying anymore. She's just so sad that she thinks about how sad she is she's so sad that she felt heavy she's so sad that she told herself she won't exist in this moment. It's as if she stood in front of the beach and admired the view and took the beauty in when a tidal wave appeared and washed her away drowned her suffocated her.

And only then did she realize that in the midst of her noisy thoughts was the sound of waves and seagulls.

And a man she would only see in her dreams and memories.

* * *

**A/N: **So, how was it? :D I really hope it at least made you sad, lol, if not cry. XD Supposedly, Cliff told some people to not tell Claire so she wouldn't be too sad when he leaves then Claire would have to ask other people where Cliff was and they'd give her a letter from Cliff (with his confession), but maybe I would kill Claire by then. XD So I ended up with the slightly less painful one lol. I hope you like it, and reviews would be greatly appreciated! :)


	4. Winter

**Four Seasons**

**A/N: **Hullo! Sorry for the late update! Writer's block got me and I went on a trip with family. Anyway this is the last chapter of my short story, as it is the fourth season already. I hope it's angsty enough and that you'll like it!

**DISCLAIMER:** _Kleia does not own Harvest Moon. Yasuhiro Wada does._

* * *

**Winter**

_When it sufficed._

* * *

She still couldn't accept reality as it is. She was that foolish.

Every day she would think he would change his mind and come back (to her) every day she would expect a knock on the door and when she would open it she would see him again every day she would deal with the sympathetic and pitiful looks the people gave her (and to think it helped when it only made her feel much much much much much worse than before and it would consume her endlessly) every day she would wake up with reality slapping her as she sits up her bed every day the feeling of loneliness would consume her (it became her friend her companion) every day she would wonder who she was what she had become every day she would miss him. And that was the worst part of it all.

Every night she would lie still in her bed so still you'd almost think she died of overthinking. Every night she felt like she was inside a storm. Her feelings were whirling inside of her wreaking havoc destroying her breaking her. Then it'll leave. She'll feel nothing for a moment she won't think but she'll still stay up because she wasn't thinking of anything. She would never understand this part of her.

It was already winter and snowing and gloomy and at times like these she would stare into nothing thinking about wanting to sleep for thousands of years or just not exist or just not be aware of her own existence. She didn't even know who she was why she's here what her purpose was. She felt so weak tired and everything was dragging her down down down until she felt like she couldn't stand up anymore.

She wouldn't be this sad if she knew he wouldn't be permanent. If she expected the unexpected.

But she couldn't live with the thought of someone leaving, so she kept telling herself he wouldn't do it—he wouldn't leave. Because he was Cliff. And she realized that was the scariest thing of all—to think that you knew someone so well you knew that person wouldn't leave but you wouldn't know what that person was thinking about. He would be right beside you, smiling, enjoying, but maybe deep inside he was facing a storm. And it was scary. To think everything was fine when it wasn't. It's like waking up from a nightmare when you aren't even asleep.

But _Goddess_ she missed him so much she had this indescribable urge within her whenever she missed him.

A single stab in her chest was enough for tears to flow freely down her face. She pounded her balled fists on her dining table as she clenched her teeth. Her eyes were tightly shut. "Idiot you're so stupid goddammit I hate you so much, Cliff!" she yelled to no one.

But as she told herself she hated him somehow something inside her somewhere told her otherwise. And that hurt the most.

She shook her head. She needed to go somewhere. She doesn't want to be trapped inside this cage filled with everything she didn't want to think about.

She grabbed her thick jacket and boots and scarf and headed for the door. As she opened it, she was greeted by a gust of cold air. But something else sent chills down her spine. She shook her thoughts away once again and headed for the exit of her farm. She strolled quickly along the streets of Mineral Town which she hadn't walked on for days.

It was a bad idea. Everywhere she looked all she saw was him and he was haunting her. The road the winery even the snow along the paths reminded her of him and it was driving her crazy. She shut her eyes and opened them again, seeing Rick walk in front of her with a sad smile on his face. He waved at her, she waved back. But she knew deep inside he felt deep pity. And she hated it. She didn't want to be empathized in that kind of way.

She kept her face down, her golden hair cascading down her shoulders, covering her face even more as she avoided the memories that crept up to her like shivers. She unconsciously balled her fists and tightened her jaw, telling herself to hold back as her feet made its way to the church. She knew where she was going would be the death of her. Because that place was him itself. It was his nirvana and now she was going to kill herself in it. Drown herself in her sadness and self-pity knowing that he won't be there beside her anymore. She frowned.

She knew she was acting as if he died. But she couldn't help it. She still lost him his presence everything about him. She knew there was a phone and letters could be exchanged. But what she wanted—needed—was him himself. And she was selfish for it.

She held the twin doors of the church and the strong feeling of nostalgia and loneliness hit her hard it stabbed her stomach which were swarming with dead butterflies and moths it stabbed her hand which became stiff and pricked with thorns it stabbed her heart which was wrapped with everything she could describe as painful and her eyes stung again and she hated herself for it she hated him for it for leaving her this way but she knew it was her fault too. She held it in and opened the doors, the sound slowly deafening her screeching her ears.

Spring popped up in her mind and she saw herself sitting with him on the first row laughing and enjoying and not even knowing what was about to happen in the future. Tears threatened to fall but she stopped them.

"Claire! What brings you here?" Carter, who apparently noticed her standing there aloof, called out to her from the altar. The pity and happiness that came along with his voice didn't pass unnoticed by Claire.

She didn't answer—and didn't even bother to smile—and just simply strolled towards the first pew and sat down on where she sat the day they met. She sighed deeply. "… Just thought of going out for a while… Carter…" she said in a low voice as she eyed her lap, hoping that he heard what she was saying. "Been a while, huh?" she pitied herself for how sad she sounded.

"Yes it has," he agreed, "it's also been a while since… Cliff had left."

She stayed silent, biting her lip.

"Sorry about his leave, Claire… I was shocked and sad too, honestly."

She shook her head. "Please don't apologize… it just—" a simple crack of her voice and a lump in her throat. A waterfall streamed down her cheeks and she covered her face instantly. She felt Carter sit himself down beside her. "It just makes things worse, you know? It makes me remember him even more and it makes me pity myself even more… It doesn't help at all...!" she exclaimed, her shoulders uncontrollably shaking and her voice wobbled in each syllable.

Carter rubbed small circles on her back. "Alright… do you want to talk about it then?" he asked in a voice so soft that Claire found it hard to listen to that kind of softness.

"… Talk about what?" she sniffled.

"About what's been bothering you, perhaps." He answered and she lightly flinched. He saw through her. "You're an open book, Claire. You've been so the past few days. Everyone saw through you, but I know it's merely your exterior." He said, "Probably what's inside you is ten times worse than what we see."

A pang in her chest and she nodded, hands still covering her face. "Well…" she hesitantly began, but she knew Carter was one of the most trusted people in town. So she placed it on him. She exhaled and tears came out again. "I just miss him so much everything reminds me of him every time I see my honey tree I remember him when I pass the winery I see him there and now that I'm sitting here it's like his soul is here too. I just… I'm stupid. I mean I'm crying about him… I just—I don't know… I feel stupid… I hate him…"

"Maybe it's the other way around." Carter explained, "If you hate him, then maybe you wouldn't be crying over him in the first place."

She looked at him straight in the eye. "Maybe the reason why I'm hating him is because I want to forget about him. He's gone, he's somewhere we all don't know. We don't know if he's happy, if he's meeting new people, or if he's sitting inside a pub or an inn all gloomy and unsocial like his usual self but much much worse. We don't know him anymore. The present Cliff. We only know the Cliff of Mineral Town. And he's somewhere in an invisible stretch of space and time and the only way we could reach him is through our memories of being with him. And maybe I'm telling myself that I hate him is because how could you still love someone when you know they won't be back anymore? How will you survive?"

Carter was taken aback for a moment. Claire still looked at him as if she was lost. She _is _lost. That was a fact.

"... So you loved him?" he asked, clearing his throat.

"I realized I still do... and I know this would sound horribly cliché but... with every 'I hate him' that I said, something somewhere inside of me is telling me otherwise. And it won't let go. It always kept holding me." She said, in a trance. She lightly sighed, realizing that she was tired. "I just still can't believe he left... and he didn't tell me in the beginning. I should've helped him, you know? Maybe it would make him stay if I helped..."

"Probably so," Carter nodded. "You're gonna lose people in your life, Claire, and you'll realize that no matter how much time you spent with them or how much you appreciate them and told them so, it will never seem like it was enough."

She sighed a heavy one as she felt a strong pang in her chest. She held in her tears that were forming. "... Yeah. That's the part I can't bear thinking about." she admitted, hanging her head low as she gripped on the edges of her seat. "I can't lie but... I liked Cliff for still staying with me until he really left. I mean, he didn't choose to slowly drift away from me, to start avoiding me until the day he'll leave, or to do things that would hurt me so I could hate him so it'll be easier for me to be okay with his leave, you know?" said Claire, looking over to Carter.

She shook her head. "He didn't cut the ties with me immediately that it just left me hanging. I mean," she paused with a small sigh, "take a car accident for instance." She looked at Carter, who simply nodded for her to go on. "It's better to die instantly in that accident rather than dying slowly while feeling the horrid pain in every part of your body until you completely let go."

Claire exhaled and found Carter smiling at her. "Well that's just how Cliff is. He's that good a person," he said—

"That's why I kept on telling myself that it's my fault," she cut in, running a hand through her face. "Because he's the good guy, and I did nothing to help him and—"

"Stop blaming yourself, Claire...!" Carter half-shouted, grabbing Claire's shoulders and slightly shaking it. "Look, it's both of you. Both of you are wrong. And your fault is that you can't live with the thought of someone leaving. That's why you're like this. I mean look at you, Claire!" he raised his voice, gesturing to Claire as she watched him with empty eyes. She knew what she looked like. She looked like shit. "You're an empty shell—you're not the Claire we all know! You're not the farmer who still laughs even though she's down and dirty. You don't even smile anymore!" He paused with a sigh. "I'm sure Cliff won't like it if he saw you this way..." He mumbled.

But she heard him. And he was right.

She sighed. "You're right..." She glanced at Carter, who looked at her expectantly.

A heavy silence followed and stayed in between them. Claire looked forward to the altar and thought about (Cliff) nothing at all. But somewhere deep inside her was filled with noise.

"... So what now, Claire?" Carter asked in the midst of Claire's silence.

She sighed then shrugged. "I don't know... probably buy seeds from Won, buy the kitchen from the Shopping Network, take care of my animals... I don't know, I'll just live," she nonchalantly said more to herself. She peered down at her hands which were paler than ever. "Cliff left, and now he's probably living happier or sadder than before, and the only help I could do now is to move on... because life doesn't stop for anyone." She said in realization and looked at Carter, who grinned, and she felt a smile twitching on her lips.

He patted her back lightly. "That's it! Exactly!" He exclaimed with a chuckle.

And for the first time in weeks, she laughed. Although that won't mean she completely moved on, but a part of her had. And that part would suffice.

* * *

**A/N:** The end. I'm not really contented with how it ended, but this is all I could think of. :( I hope you guys liked it for an ending. Although I'm not sure about it, but this'll have a sequel! Yay. Well not the multi-chaptered one, but a one-shot. Haha.

Anyway thank you to the ones who reviewed (you know who you are and you rock) and supported me, lol. Really thank you so much.

See you next time!


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